Can stacking display device



ec. 1, 1953 N. PAUL CAN STACKING DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Nov. 8, 1949INVENTOR. NICHOLAS PAUL Patented Dec. 1, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE CAN STACKING DISPLAY DEVICE Nicholas Paul, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application November 8, 1949, Serial No. 126,217

1 Claim.

The subject of this invention is a novel and valuable display aid unit,in the nature of a one-structure device and which, furthermore, hasvarious unique advantages, aside from its relatively trifling cost ofmanufacture whether made of metal, plastic or any other suitablematerial, in connection with its intended use for assistance inarranging window and analogous displays of merchandise of the kindtypified by foods as packed in so-called tin cans of conventional type.

As is well known, these cans, before being opened to obtain access tothe contents thereof, are characterized by the inclusion of a main body,said body presenting a side wall portion generally of circularcross-section, and oppositely located parallel top and bottom wallswith, beyond each of the two last-named walls, an annular formationestablishing a shallow recess bounded by such formation.

Merely for purposes of illustration, the cans delineated in theaccompanying drawings in connection with now favored ones of the manypossible embodiments of the unit of the invention, are all shown ashaving their side wall portions cylindrical. As will later become clear,any embodiment of the invention, with variations readily suggestingthemselves, may be employed with cans and analogous containers havingtheir main bodies so shaped that in cross-section they arenon-circularly curved, or polygonal, or partly of straight-line andpartly of curved extension, and also with cans or analogous containerswhich, regardless of the cross-sectional nature of their said mainbodies at any level along the heights thereof, may be conical orprismatic or pyramidal and otherwise of types which cross-sectionallyvary'in expanse at different points along the height of the can orcontainer.

An object of the invention is to provide a unit or device as above,which, essentially, is not an inbuilt part of a can or the like; which,even though a one-piece structure, is nevertheless free of localizedtongues, lips, lugs, fingers, clips and the like, such as the kindswhich have to be bent to can-engaging grip; which, consequently,further, will be wholly or substantially wholly consealed when in usepursuant to th invention; which is utilized solely as a display-erectingadjunct and is not, for instance, a coupling means for containers madein sections to be separated and successively discarded during andincidental to consumption or removal from the container of its contents;and which is capable of various individually selectable uses, each forobtaining a different display ensemble of a plurality of cans orcontainers, and with various of these an sembles dilferent from anythinheretofore proposed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device with all theadvantages aforesaid, and which, further, in regard to the ensembleslastmentioned, is adapted to give to the latter appearances markedlydifferent from those previously proposed, with these particularlyadvantageous in that apparently gravity does not function in the usualway expected, and so of high public interest intriguing value.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. l is a View in side elevation, partially in section, illustrativeof a type of can adapted to constitute one of a selected plurality ofcans for participating in a display arran ement pursuant to theinvention.

Fig. 2 shows the lower portion of one such arrangement which mayconstitute an exceedingly tall such arrangement of single column type.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one now approved embodiment of thedisplay-aiding unit of the invention, for use in connection with adisplay like that or including one like that of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a similar view, showing a variation of said unit.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section, taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of still another variation of said unit, withcertain parts as elastically temporarily reshaped indicated in dot anddash.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary detail section, taken on the line 1-7of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 shows the unit of Fig. 6 in side elevation.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing another type of displaypursuant to the invention.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of one now approved embodiment of the newunit, for use in connection with a display like that of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view similar to a portion of Fig. 9, butshowing still another type of display pursuant to the invention.

Fig. 12 is a top plan view of one now favored embodiment of the newunit, as modified for use 'in connection with a display like that ofFig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 9, but showing another type of displaypursuant to the invention.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a modification of the last-mentionedunit to adapt the same for use in connection with a display like that ofFi 13.

Fig. 15 is another view similar to Fig. 9, but showing still anothertype of display pursuant to the invention.

Fig. 16 is a top plan view of a further modification of units of thegeneral class typified by those of Figs. 10, 12 and 14 to adapt the samefor use in connection with a display like that of Fig. 15.

Fig. 1'7 shows the unit of Fig. 16 in side elevation.

Fig. 18 illustratesin perspective one of the various possiblemodifications of such a unit as that of Fig. 1'7, for use in connectionwith a dislay having a sub-assembly component analogous to that at theupper part of Fig. 15.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, and by reference numerals,a familiar can 30 of the kind hereinabove first summarized, and as shownby itself in Fig. l, is illustrated, as aforesaid, in the various viewsfor showing some of the possible display arrangements made possible bythe invention; the aforesaid rim formations of such a can beingdesignated 3|, 3i, and its aforesaid top and bottom end recesses beingdesignated 32, 32.

The new unit shown in Fig. 3, and various ones of which may each belocated as indicated by the broken line showings in Fig. 2, is marked33. The unit 33 is simply a strip of resilient metal, plastic or othersuitable material, curled to define a nearly closed when by its ownresiliency expanded to maximum normal diameter. This diameter is that ofa can-end recess 3!; and the width of said strip is about that butpreferably not greater than twice th depth of such recess. Thus, with aunit 33 at a location between two cans 30 when arranged upright and withthe crests of their coadjacent rim formations 3| in precise registry,these two cans will be locked in unidirectional columnar rigidity byreception of half the width of the unit 33 in each of the coadjacentrecesses 32.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, the unit here shown, and as a wholedesignated 33*, is roughly of trifoliate outline, having threecurvilinear cutouts 34, alike and equally spaced, having at itsperipheral portions which alternate with said. cut-outs an oppositelyswelled flange component .35, and having intermediate the outer limitsof its central main thinner portion a finger-hole 36. Such a unit may bemade of wood, plastic, or other suitable material, and one desirably ofsome resilient flexibility at said thinner portion opposite the saidcut-outs; so that, with the main diametral dimension of the unit such asto fit almost lock-tight in an end recess 3! of a can, this consequentmerely upon manually forcing the unit into said recess, the unit may bereadily removed from the recess by squeeze thereon exerted between afinger in the hole 36 and say another finger or fingers of the same handagainst the inner ends of one or two or perhaps all three of saidcut-outs.

Referring to Figs. 6-8, the unit here shown, and as a whole designated33 is adapted to have operational-use characteristics analogous to thosejust explained in. connection with Figs. 4 and 5. This unit, which maywell be made of a resilient plastic, is shown as comprising two mainwider 4 arcuate strips 31, 31, and two inner narrower arcuate strips 38,38. As the unit is illustrated. it is not a unitary or one-piecemolding, as it could well be; but the ends of the strips 38 are securedto the strips 31 near their ends, as by aperturing the latter strips androunding the ends 39 of the strips 38, so that these rounded ends may belocked in said apertures as by dabs of a plastic cement as indicated at40 in Fig. 7 in the case of one of the four such joinders.

Referring to Figs. 9 and 10, the unit here shown, and as a wholedesignated 33, comprises a lower main strip 4|, and two like upperpartially projected strips 42, 42. All of these strips are of a uniformthickness about equal to the depth of a can end recess 32; and the twoopposite ends of each strip are rounded to a curvature matching that ofthe inside of an end rim formation 3| of a can, while each strip is of amaximum length equal to about that of the insid diameter of such an endrim formation at apoint well down in a recess 32.

Such a unit, and this comment is true also of those units shown in Figs.12, 14, 16 and 18, ideally would be made of plastic, and molded asone-piece structures; although the same, as they are for example shown,particularly so far as the units of Figs. 10, 12 and 14 are concerned,maybe taken as illustrative of a method of fabrication according towhich each of the different can-end engaging elements of a unit areseparately shaped and then secured together, as by use of a suitableplastic cement, when they are molded from a plastic material.

Referring to Figs. 11 and 12, here, where the unit shown is as a wholedesignated 33*, the same comprises as its lower member a disk 44, w1ththree upper strips 45, 45, 45, partially overlappingly secured to thedisk. The three strips are shown as of like shape and size and ofuniform thickness about equal to the depth of a can end recess 32; withthe two ends of each strip rounded to a curvature matching that of theinside of an end rim formation 3| of a can, while each strip is of amaximum length equal to about that of the inside diameter of such an endrim formation at a point well down in a recess 32. The disk 44 iscircular according to the diameter last-named; and is of about the samethickness as a strip 45.

Referring to Figs. 13 and 14, the unit here shown, and as a whole marked33 is in effect a replica of the unit 33 of Fig. 10, except that onlyone strip partially projected from a lower strip, the latter heredesignated 4P, is present; said projected strip being indicated at 42.

Referring toFigs. 15 to 17, the unit here shown, and which as a whole isdesignated 33 has parts 44 and 46, 46 corresponding, respectively, tothe parts 44 and to two of the three parts 45 (Fig. 12), with said parts46 aligned across the disk M and both downwardly outwardly inclined. Inthe present case, for instance, the strips 43 are illustrated asdownwardly inclined at different angles to the horizontal and also asdifferentially presentrelative to overlapping relationship with thed1sk44. To minimize chance of visual detectron of the presence of thisunit in a multi-can (118121 843 meirely 1relatively tiny wedge-likeconnec mg-ma eria rtions 4 shown in Fig. 17. po 1 need be used as InFig. 18, a unit 33 is shown, which, having four members 44 and 46 46 46with the disk 44 and any of said parts 46 corresponding respectively, tothe part 44' and to either of the parts 46, 45, illustrates a variationsuch that there are included in the unit more than two of the inclinedupper strips, and also a variation wherein all of said strips which arepresent are downwardly outwardly inclined at the same angle, and furthera variation wherein all of said strips have the same extent of overlaprelative to the underlying disk M A further possible variation withinthe invention would be, for instance, a placement of the upper strips orequivalents, relative to a lower member which, for example, is a disk ofan outline matching that of an end recess of a can, such that said upperstrips or equivalents are differently angularly spaced one from another.

It is to be understood that the edges of the cam stacking display devicemay be beveled or otherwise shaped for a true fit within the top andbottom flanges of the can.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to allchanges and modifications coming within the scope of the invention asdefined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:

A display unit for stacking cans, comprising a pair of spaced wide,resilient strips, each being outwardly arcuate, a pair of narrowresilient, inner strips connected to the wide strips adjacent outer endsthereof, said inner strips being oppositely concave whereby pressuretogether bends the outer strips inwardly.

NICHOLAS PAUL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,654,346 Ogden Dec. 27, 1927 1,759,390 Brandt May 20, 19301,868,269 Beadle July 19, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date810,438 France Mar. 22, 1937

